Monday, October 13, 2008

And one carrot cake...

There are few chores I hate more than the bulk meat shop. I mean I truly hate it. Given my drathers I'd be vegetarian. The only butchers I've ever been in that didn't stink to high heaven were in Germany & that's a little far to go on a regular basis. So Dearest, who combines the meat shop with a visit to his specialist, is mostly responsible. The sight of all that dead flesh, the smell of blood, & the cheerful way the lads toss carcasses about pretty much does me in. I can't wait to get out of the place.

Then there is all the packing once we get home again. I left Ditz with the washing up & kitchen clean~up [she did a super job!] & then roped her in for the packing as well. She did sausages. Dearest did the chicken because chicken is plain revolting ~ all slimy & squishy. Ugh!

So I was thrilled to get a birthday parcel in the mail ~ early too! My birthday is still weeks away but Siano, my dearest it is lovely! The girls think it looks fab on me & silk! Oh, my! I feel quite decadent with the touch of silk against my skin! Liddy was quite put out & wants to know where her present is. ;P

Liddy had a pretty good day & work was at pains to make it special for her even though she was working. Ditz was beside herself as she had saved & saved [always hard for Ditz] to buy Liddy a truly alarming alarm clock. She is now broke again!Ditz also took over the cake for decorating purposes....
And Liddy ate it!

So here is our carrot cake recipe:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs lightly beaten

2 cups of sifted self rising flour

2 cups coarsely grated carrot

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 1/2 cups oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

Add sugar to eggs gradually, stirring well. Combine flour & cinnamon. Reserve small amount of flour. Add flour & oil to egg mixture, beginning & ending with flour. Dredge walnuts with reserved flour. Fold in walnuts & carrots. Pour batter into greased, waxed~paper lined layer cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 ~ 40 minutes. Turn on to racks to cook thoroughly.

Filling:

2 8oz packages cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup butter

13/4 cups icing sugar [powdered sugar?]

1 cup chopped walnuts.

Mix cheese, vanilla, butter & sugar. Add walnuts. Mix well. Spread between layers & on top of cake. Gives about 20 servings!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ummm; yes, well... I didn't actually realise it was Liddy's birthday until I read the blog _after_ I'd sent the pres. So what would Liddy like, given that you appear to have covered all bases :-) ? Would she like a nice silk top!? -- or is that not quite her style.

Siano

Ganeida said...

lol. She was teasing! I told her you are *my* friend. She can go get her own! No doubt on your next visit Lid'll drag it up & make out she got really hard done by but you just sock it to her, baby! ;D

Constance said...

Carrot Cake is one of our favorites! Years ago, I started adding grated ornage peel to the cream cheese frosting and I couldn't belive how much more we enjoyed it!

So her birthday is the same day as my son's, October 13th? What are the odds?

Connie

The HoJo's said...

We sell loads of carrot cake, we bake it every other day :o) Yum
Love the cake decorations, good job Ditz
xc

molytail said...

catching up here - I LOVE the mug with the lid in the other post; it's adorable! I'd totally buy that....Your Arthur fella may not have been an academically educated man, but he sure was a wise one.

The cake looks and sounds delicious! I may try that recipe out - minus the walnuts...*I* like walnuts in mine, but Cindy and Diane do not - and since I'd have to share my cake, walnuts it can not have.

I love Liddy's sweater - it looks so comfy & cute!

And your silk present looks beautiful on ya! :-D (even if you managed to make that pic unclickable to enlarge LOL)

When *is* your birthday?? I'm thinking you have likely said and I forgot....I'm awful like that LOL ...I want to send ya a treat - course, it'll prolly be well on February before it actually GETS tere, if past experience is any indication ROFL ....I think our mail gets taken over there by sea turtle. :-)

Dianna said...

Ugh, that butcher shop sounds terrible! Here we just buy our meat all pre-packaged and it looks nothing like the original animal. Sometimes I think a lot more people would become vegetarian if they had to slaughter their own meat, or even see where it came from.

MamaOlive said...

Wow, a whole recipe without any questions! You used regular ingredients this time. ;-)

I also don't like the smell of raw meat. When I was a child I'd come in the kitchen as my mom was cutting up the chicken (she'd buy whole ones and cut them herself to save money) and saw how gross it was, and once she threatened to make me do it. That's when I realized she didn't like it, either. When we raised our own, Bob skinned the birds rather than plucked them, and I just cooked them whole so I didn't have to deal with it.

Isn't it nice when you can get the children to help? My girls are finally getting big enough to be of assistance.

Are you relieved to have another birthday done? Sounds like it went well.

Ganeida said...

Connie, the time zones do make things difficult don't they! Liddy is actually the 12th, so a day before Charlie.

Moly!!! How's the trip, girl?! I'll e~mail you. We're all *nutty* here. lol. We adore our nuts & cook with them a lot.

Mrs Mordecai: Agree. I only cook meat because I live with total carnivores but on my own I never touch it. I actually like legumes but Dearest & the kids think that's beyond weird.

MamaO: lol. The recipe was originally American! I got it from an American friend.
As for the chicken; I par freeze it which prevents it from feeling slimy & makes it heaps easier to handle. It kills the smell too.

The girls are a huge help now. Liddy cooked tea last night but we've still got 2 birthdays to go before Christmas. *sigh*